New Year's Resolutions for Each Premier League Club
The turn of the year brings with it a fresh sense of optimism and ambition.
Setting new year's resolutions is a tradition for most of us, and Premier League clubs are no different.
Managers across the country will be reassessing their squads and setting their expectations for the year ahead—whether they involve lifting a trophy, staying in the top flight, challenging for Europe or something completely different.
We've cast an eye over the 20 Premier League clubs to see what their new year's resolutions might be.
Arsenal: Make a Big Signing
1 of 20
Arsene Wenger looks likely to dip into his pockets this January as Arsenal aim to ensure they don't blow their best chance at lifting the Premier League trophy in over a decade.
The famously stingy Frenchman and his men are top of the pile at the halfway mark, and with the likes of Leicester City, Manchester City and Tottenham Hostpur hot on their heels, Arsenal need to strengthen if they're to still be there in May.
The Gunners could do with a defensive midfielder and another striker for when, inevitably, their next injury strikes and could send a message to their competitors with a big signing in January.
Aston Villa: Win a Game
2 of 20
From top to bottom we go, with Aston Villa propping up the Premier League at the turn of the year.
Remi Garde's side need to start winning soon, and a trip to 19th-placed Sunderland on January 2 provides the perfect opportunity to kick-start their horror season.
They're without a win since the opening day of the season—all the way back in August—and it's a trend that must be changed if they're to make up the 11 points standing between them and safety.
Bournemouth: Keep Fit
3 of 20
It's finally looking as though Bournemouth's run of bad luck is over, sitting three points from safety after a run of good performances.
Eddie Howe's side will need things to go their way during the second half of the campaign if they're to retain their top-flight status, and keeping his players fit will be crucial to meeting that target.
Callum Wilson, Tyrone Mings and Max Gradel are just three of Bournemouth's casualties this term, and Howe needs to avoid anyone else in his squad joining them on the sidelines.
Chelsea: Sort out the Mess
4 of 20
Only one word can describe Chelsea's season to date: disaster.
The 14th-placed Blues are closer to the relegation zone than they are to the top four, and their hopes of lifting the Premier League trophy for the second time in a row have been all but mathematically extinguished.
Jose Mourinho's departure in December was just the start of it—Guus Hiddink has to clean up the mess at Stamford Bridge, and that could well begin with some of Chelsea's underperforming stars following the Portuguese out of the door in January.
Crystal Palace: Qualify for Europe
5 of 20
Has there ever been a better time to be a Crystal Palace fan?
Alan Pardew's work with the Eagles has even seen him linked with the Real Madrid job, and with the recent cash injection into the club, fans could be forgiven for dreaming big.
And why not? With some of the league's traditional big boys stumbling, the opportunity is there for fifth-placed Palace to make their move and occupy a European spot come the end of the season.
Everton: Carry Romelu Lukaku to the Golden Boot
6 of 20
In Romelu Lukaku, Everton boast one of the most lethal strikers in the Premier League.
In 19 league appearances this term, 22-year-old Lukaku has scored 15 times already to sit equal top of the goalscoring charts with Jamie Vardy. What the Belgian's old club, Chelsea, would do for that kind of production from their frontmen.
Eleventh-placed Everton could harbour ambitions to play in Europe next season, and to achieve that, they would likely need Lukaku to become the Toffees' first Premier League Golden Boot winner—the first outside of the big five since the turn of the century.
Leicester City: Stay in the Top 4
7 of 20
Leicester City's goal of 40 points for the season is just one solitary draw away—and with 19 games left to play, it's time the Foxes reassessed their position.
Claudio Ranieri has turned his side into a force in English football, and they are second to Arsenal on goal difference only as the calendars change.
Most people will be expecting Leicester to drop out of the top four by virtue of not being one of England's traditional big clubs, and therein lies the goal for Ranieri: Stay there and achieve something very special in the East Midlands.
Liverpool: Give Jurgen Klopp More Screentime
8 of 20
Forget about what they need on the field, Liverpool's ambitions for 2016 should be to keep the boss happy so more gold is produced by Jurgen Klopp.
The energetic German has livened up the Premier League since his arrival in October, and he no doubt earned himself some new fans when he took part in a lesson in Scouse soon after he took charge.
Klopp has shown signs of frustration in recent weeks, and if his club and the fans can keep him happy, we can expect some more comedy gold out of the ex-Borussia Dortmund manager.
Manchester City: Learn to Live Without Vincent Kompany
9 of 20
Manchester City have to, again, adjust to life without Vincent Kompany after the Belgian limped off against Sunderland on Boxing Day, ruling him out for up to four weeks.
Manuel Pellgrini's side have struggled without their captain in the team this season, their 0-0 draw with Leicester on Tuesday being the only time they have kept a clean sheet without him.
City have the talent to win the Premier League, but they're going to have to find a way to do it without relying so heavily on Kompany.
Manchester United: Win a Trophy
10 of 20
The Premier League title looks to be out of their reach, and Manchester United fans are starting to lose faith in their side.
Louis van Gaal has been under all sorts of pressure after guiding the Red Devils through a horror run of form, a slide that was somewhat arrested thanks to Monday night's 0-0 draw with Chelsea at Old Trafford.
Nevertheless, there's nothing like a trophy to ease the pressure, and United could still find a way through the latter stages of the Europa League or the FA Cup, as unlikely as it that might sound right now.
Newcastle United: Squeeze the Most out of Their Summer Signings
11 of 20
The only teams to have a bigger net spend than Newcastle United last summer were (look away, Magpies fans): AC Milan, Real Madrid, Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain.
That Newcastle sit in the relegation places is evidence their transfer policy was far from successful, and it's not likely to continue in January.
On paper, the talent is there, and Newcastle showed glimpses of it with wins over Liverpool and Tottenham in recent weeks.
Steve McClaren has the task of squeezing the best out of the Magpies' expensively assembled playing squad, which contains the likes of Chancel Mbemba, Florian Thauvin, Georginio Wijnaldum and Aleksandar Mitrovic.
Norwich City: Stay Up
12 of 20
It's a simple goal for the Canaries, but simplicity has been key to their campaign to date.
Norwich City and their boss, Alex Neil, have been nothing if not no-nonsense this season, and they won't be satisfied with any result—not even a win away at Old Trafford—until their top-flight status is secured.
Southampton: Establish Some Consistency
13 of 20
This has been a season of runs for Southampton.
The Saints narrowly missed out on competing in the Europa League proper for this season and have mixed a run of poor results with some brilliant ones—such as a 4-0 win against Arsenal on Boxing Day—to lie a disappointing 12th.
Ronald Koeman's side has all the talent needed to push the sides above them, and if the Dutchman can keep hold of the likes of Sadio Mane, a consistent run of form would see Southampton back in the mix for continental honours.
Stoke City: Continue the Revolution
14 of 20
Just quietly, Mark Hughes is putting together quite the project at the Britannia Stadium.
Stoke City are ninth, only six points from fourth, and with such congestion at the top half of the table, they could find themselves finishing anywhere between one of the European places and the bottom half.
Perhaps it's not about 2015-16 for the Potters but looking even further ahead—keeping the likes of Marko Arnautovic, Xherdan Shaqiri and Bojan Krkic together could see Stoke very well placed for years to come.
Sunderland: Spend Wisely
15 of 20
Sam Allardyce has made no secret of the need to add to his squad in January.
Sunderland sit 19th on New Year's Day, five points from safety, and the boss has admitted it's important to dip into the transfer market if his side is to stay up.
For the Black Cats, then, it's all about spending wisely, for if their rivals in Newcastle have proved anything this season, it's that quantity doesn't necessarily equal quality.
Swansea City: Appoint a Permanent Manager
16 of 20
Swansea City's managerial situation has been up in the air since Garry Monk left on December 9.
Since then, performances have yet to improve under interim boss Alan Curtis, with the Swans briefly dropping into the relegation places before climbing into 17th by the end of the year.
The club needs stability if it's to avoid a relegation scrap, and that will start at the top with the appointment of a permanent manager.
Tottenham Hotspur: Win the Europa League
17 of 20
Spurs are fourth at the halfway mark and boast the Premier League's stingiest defence, so signs point toward a return to the Champions League for Mauricio Pochettino's men.
Whether Tottenham can sustain a serious title challenge remains to be seen, but they have a decent shout of going deep into Europe's second-tier competition after making it out of the group stage.
Spurs face a tough ask in the round of 32, paired with Italy's Fiorentina, but perhaps this is the year for Tottenham to dream of European glory.
Watford: Keep Odion Ighalo in Form
18 of 20
How far can Watford take this run of form, and how far can Odion Ighalo take his?
The Hornets' momentum was halted thanks to Tottenham Hotspur's late winner on Monday, but they still possess all the ingredients for a successful first season under Quique Sanchez Flores.
Ighalo's 30 goals in 2015 was the best tally in England, and Flores will want him to go even further in 2016. Having scored in each of his last six league games, perhaps Ighalo could even go on to match the record-breaking exploits of a certain Jamie Vardy.
It's ambitious, but Watford have been nothing if not fearless this season.
West Bromwich Albion: Score Some Goals
19 of 20
Believe it or not, West Bromwich Albion have a better defence than Leicester City, which poses the question as to what they might be capable of if they had a more potent attack.
The Baggies are one of five teams not to have scored 20 goals so far this term—the others being the bottom four.
In Salomon Rondon and Saido Berahino, Tony Pulis has two strikers capable of troubling opposition defenders, but he needs the pair to be more productive in front of goal if West Brom are to turn their campaign into anything other than a relegation dogfight.
West Ham United: A Few More Famous Victories
20 of 20
West Ham United are enjoying one heck of a season under Slaven Bilic and have already knocked over Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool in the first half of the season.
A few disappointing results notwithstanding, the Hammers could have easily found themselves in the top five at Christmas, and with the Reds and Manchester City to play in January alone, a few more famous results could see them climb the ladder even further.
Who knows, maybe a deep cup run isn't out of the reach of Bilic's men.
With West Ham set to move into their flashy new home, London's Olympic Stadium, next year, a bit of publicity would do the club the world of good.
